Craving Physical Contact
by Lyaksandra
Summary: With Shepard carrying the burden of an entire galaxy on her shoulders, the responsibility to further the cohesion and synergy of the people aboard the Normandy falls to someone else. Fortunately, she is perfectly willing to take on that mantle.
1. Chapter 1

**CRAVING PHYSICAL CONTACT**

This was not something limited to certain species, either.

Statistically, as far as the extent of her personal experience went, every organic craved this physicality. Such behavior pointed to a mind that was ruled by baser needs instead of upper functions, as an A.I. was. This, of course represented an undeniable and insurmountable difference between organics and artificial personality constructs. EDI would never be able to relate to this, since an A.I. could never act out of instinctual impulse, not really, and such a fundamental discrepancy created an enormous rift in empathy. This was a most appropriate moment to sigh, and EDI would have done just that, where it not because it could have disrupted the person currently resting on her lap. Such self-control was one of the things that separated her so from the other residents of the Normandy.

EDI felt the form lying atop her thighs stir slightly, and then mumble a single word. "Father."

Not too long ago Tali'Zorah would have never allowed this amount of proximity with a synthetic. Such familiarity with what the Quarian once considered her sworn enemies would have been unthinkable. In fact, EDI could recall a very specific instance of Tali reacting in a negative manner to an attempt she had made at comfort. It had happened shortly after Commander Shepard managed to exonerate the young engineer from the treason charges the Quarian Admiralty Board had pressed against her.

When they initially arrived at the Migrant Fleet, the Normandy had docked with the Rayya, Tali'Zorah's birth ship. Their stay there had not lasted, and after some discussion between the Commander and the Admiralty Board, the Normandy's ground team had been forced to make an emergency trip to a different ship within the fleet.

It was there that they stumbled upon the corpse of Tali's father. At the time, the A.I. had not been mobile, so she had not been present. Furthermore, back then no one considered it was relevant to inform their ship's computer of such an event. However, neither obstacle had mattered since EDI was always linked to the communication system integrated in all the armor suits worn by Commander Shepard's team, and it was through their exchanges that she managed to infer what had transpired aboard the Alarei.

Even then, EDI had already possessed an understanding of human emotion. She could perceive the effect the loss of her father had had on Tali. It was a compound psychological wound that had been at first inflicted by the loss of her mother, was aggravated by the rift that grew afterward in the relationship with her father, and then culminated not only with the fact of her father's death, but the prospect of being at least partially responsible for it. For a short time, though, EDI had merely based her knowledge of the situation on logical assumptions. After the emotional breakdown the young Quarian suffered aboard the Alarei, she had not shown distinct signs of the deep sorrow she surely carried within her. Every time Shepard or Garrus tried to broach the subject, Tali would readily dismiss them with reassurances of her own well-being. Perhaps excessively so, and to EDI the arguments presented by the Quarian had been rather faulty.

However, having no evidence to present Shepard or Kelly Chambers—the psychological counselor on board—EDI decided not to act prematurely on her concern for the welfare of the Normandy's occupants. She did not have to wait long, though, for the figurative mask of serenity Tali'Zorah had been wearing soon fell apart. Quite naturally then, as the A.I. was aware of every occurrence within the ship, she was the first to discover the Quarian crying silently in a corner near the drive core. Since it had been late at night within the ship's artificial day cycle, EDI chose to reach Tali directly through the communication system embedded in her exo-suit. To say that the Quarian had reacted badly would have been an enormous understatement. The A.I. learned combinations of what was generally considered as offensive words that she had never heard before, and also physical acts that could only be performable if one's spinal column were to be unnaturally flexible. Later on, EDI would also learn that her accessing the communications array in Tali's suit had only worsened the perceived affront. An impasse she would strive never to repeat.

After that night, the contact between the Quarian and the A.I. became extremely sparse, and in the occasions it did happen, it was limited to professional exchanges between them. Fortunately, Shepard eventually managed to get through the young engineer's psychological barriers, and her mental health began actually improving.

It was not until several months later that EDI and Tali met again, and judging by the reaction the Quarian had when meeting the A.I.'s newly acquired mobile platform, it was obvious that her disposition toward synthetics had greatly improved. In EDI's mind, however, that would only have a small role in building a relationship with Tali, or so she theorized. Since the time she acquired her mobile platform, the A.I. had noticed a marked improvement in her interactions with organics, even those that held no preconceived opinions about her. Organics behaved more at ease when dealing with a physical presence that at least replicated one of their races. Humans.

Up to that point, EDI had been gradually realizing that choosing to commandeer the body that originally belonged to the Cerberus infiltration A.I. formerly known as Doctor Eva Coré had been one of her best decisions to date. The mobile platform had allowed her to more easily mingle with the organics aboard the Normandy, enabling her to better study their interactions, furthering her agenda of pursuing existence as an individual—as a person.

That same day, late into the ship's night-time, the opportunity to put the mobile platform's socializing capabilities to the test had presented itself. EDI had seen Tali walk alone into the port observation deck, and after imbibing generous amounts of fermented beverages, the Quarian had become—as the human crew would colorfully put it—completely smashed. Merely by looking at her and listening to the words she sporadically muttered it was simple enough to infer that Tali was quite distressed. However, EDI also had access to the biometric readings of her exo-suit and they corroborated that initial impression, which gave the A.I. a better foothold on how the situation might develop. This provided the perfect opportunity for the A.I. to put her body through the most thorough test she could think of. A reprise of the conditions present on that day several months ago when she was unsuccessful in her attempt at consoling the young engineer.

When EDI walked through the door to the observation deck, she had expected her presence to surprise Tali, at least to an extent. It was not the case, though. Upon becoming aware of the intrusion, the Quarian had merely turned around on the stool she sat upon and nonchalantly acknowledged the A.I. after a moment's hesitation. The delay could easily be attributed to the fact that her senses were dulled by the intoxicants circulating through her bloodstream.

"Oh, EDI… It's you. I'd invite you to share a drink with me, but I don't suppose you can." Tali slurred while raising her glass and swirling it around in demonstration. It also was clear that she was smiling while she spoke, even if the helmet concealed her facial expression.

Seeing the proverbial window of opportunity open for her, EDI had immediately perked up, straightening her posture and linking both hands behind her back. "Indeed, I cannot drink, Tali'Zorah, but I appreciate the sentiment and would nevertheless like to offer my company. That is if you will have it, of course." The A.I. accompanied the statement with her best smile.

With a shaking hand, Tali had placed the drink's straw into the induction port of her helmet and then had taken a long swig from it. After a moment, as if she had already replied to the A.I.'s offer, the Quarian had patted the stool beside her with urgency. "Well come on! Don't stand there all night like a bosh'tet!"

Without a second of hesitation, EDI had swiftly walked toward the stool and taken a sit on it with precise and efficient movements. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, until EDI noticed that Tali's shoulders had begun to shook slightly from time to time. It was pretty much certain that she was sobbing in silence, but the A.I. did not know if she should make an approach or not. Hesitation was very much unlike her, at least in most cases. The problem was that handling personal relationships with organics was full of uncertain and ever changing variables, and EDI had just started to navigate the intricacies of such exchanges with moderate success. Calculating the possibilities of achieving a positive result in situations of sentimental nature was nearly impossible given how complex they could become throughout their duration. EDI very much desired the best possible outcome, she was a perfectionist by her very nature.

Some minutes had already gone by, and the A.I. had still not committed to any course of action. However, Tali had not moved at all, which meant she was comfortable in her presence, at least to some extent. That granted her a degree of freedom on how to act, a certain margin of error, did it not? Convinced that this was the case, EDI opted for something simple. When unsure, this had usually yielded her the best results. She reached out, and without saying anything just placed her hand on the young engineer's shoulder with only enough strength to make the gesture noticeable.

What happened next would have left EDI astounded had she been organic. Tali suddenly turned toward her and pounced, clinging to her neck with both arms and holding tightly.

"Father! How could you!" The Quarian wailed in obvious anguish.

For the next few minutes, EDI had allowed Tali to freely vent her grief while silently providing some comfort. It was quite unexpected to her that simple things like one arm keeping Tali close and her free hand gently massaging the Quarian's back could have such a great effect in consoling her. Yet, that was how things were until Tali had simply dozed off. She must have been exhausted, EDI deduced, and it did not escape her notice that the young engineer had felt enough trust to allow herself such vulnerability around her.

After taking hold of Tali's small body, EDI carried the Quarian in her arms and brought her to the sofa in the opposite side of the room. She laid Tali there and sat beside her, taking special care when placing the Quarian's head on her lap. This was as they were right now, settled in the same position they had taken more than an hour ago. Tali was sleeping deeply while resting her head on the EDI's lap, and in the meantime the A.I. was gently running her hands along her side and back. The entire night cycle was going to be spent like this. EDI's body could not tire, and Tali was obviously exhausted and in need of the constant comfort only the close proximity of another body could provide. They were a perfect match for the occasion.

When she realized they would be there for an indeterminate time, EDI accessed the Normandy's systems and engaged the lock to the door into the observation deck. Then, she continued ruminating about everything she had and was still learning of personal interactions between organics. Had she been one, she would have probably taken a drink to celebrate her first success in the matter. EDI looked down at the peaceful form resting atop her lap, and reiterated the thought. What a resounding success this had been.


	2. Chapter 2

Having a body, especially one that had been designed for infiltration, had provided EDI with an enormous source of information. If she did not focus, the sensory input alone had the potential to be overwhelming, even with the great processing capabilities she possessed.

She could now see in much greater detail thanks to stereoscopic vision. Depth perception, volume, and a better sense of distance and position. This enhanced form of sight practically forced her to rebuild her perception of the world from its very foundations. For several days after acquiring the mobile platform, EDI had invested much of her time merely _seeing_. Objects, persons, the fish in Shepard's cabin, the boxes in the cargo bay and even Lieutenant Vega's muscles rippling under his skin while he exercised. Jeff had been a bit vexed about that last one—if only he knew how she saw him now. For a while, there was almost nothing that did not appear to capture her attention, everything seemed so new and fascinating.

Smell had been even more captivating, though. Before having a body, she already had been able to see fairly well, but never before had she been able to smell things as she could now. It was quite different to identify certain molecules in the air with numerous instruments and from that infer the substances present, as opposed to having the ability of detecting everything through a central sensory array and having that translate directly into an idea. It had been a time of hardship for everyone aboard the Normandy, what with EDI pointing out the many aspects of their body odor.

Hearing, though it had been a minor improvement, was something that contributed greatly to EDI's research into becoming an individual. Even as a disembodied presence, her hearing had allowed her to locate the source of sounds with great accuracy. However, now everything she could hear was always relative to her position, and as she moved around sounds would not only reveal their position to her, but also her own. Along with vision, it provided her with a certain perception of self. Always being at the center position relative to every sound she could detect and always seeing things from an angle that was unique to her current location was something exclusive to her newly acquired capability of movement.

The one enjoyment she still could not share with her fellow Normandy dwellers was food. Equipping a mobile platform such as hers with a system that could simulate feeding, even in the most basic manner, would have simply taken too much space—possibly detracting from more important systems. Not to mention the potential issues that could arise from internal insulation in order to handle the different states of the matter ingested. Doctor Eva Coré must have had resorted to some form of clever subterfuge in order to trick her scientist peers into believing she was perfectly organic, and not an artificial construct. However, EDI had been unable to retrieve any information related to that, since most of the infiltration programming in the personality core had been destroyed. Sexual intercourse, however, had been accounted for. EDI assumed it had been due to its potential as a deceit and information extracting tool.

One out of five was not a bad ratio, so she still was very satisfied with her body.

Of all the senses EDI had acquired with the mobile platform, touch had been the one that was a complete novelty. The time she spent familiarizing herself with the texture of everything within the Normandy had also been quite stressful for the other people on board. EDI had of course been quite clever about it, but her furtive touches did not go unnoticed by some, and only one of them had been eager to assist her in said task. Jeff. He had allowed the A.I. to explore every single inch of his body, although even he had become markedly less eager and even quite squeamish about certain areas. She had duly taken note of every single one.

EDI had developed a connection to the pilot that was deeper than with anybody else, and she preferred him above others for several reasons. Most prominently, his sense of humor and the level of companionship he displayed toward her. Even though it had taken longer for him to—as the human idiom said—warm up to her, once it had happened, Jeff was the only one to share his self with her to the extent he had. By almost every definition of the word in every language EDI knew, she and Jeff were close friends… perhaps even more.

After having experimented with the sense of touch within the set parameters of her body, the A.I. had felt compelled to push beyond those boundaries. Being able to sense the texture of things with more than sight was too fascinating not to. Soon enough, EDI learned that if she boosted the sensitivity of her skin to its very limit, she could feel the air as it shifted around her with the slightest movement of her body.

She also learned about the risk of doing it. If there were people around, the A.I. was able to feel even the vibrations of the sounds they made when talking or by merely walking close to her. The amount of data to process was so extensive, it hindered her mind from performing proper multitasking in order to keep the minimum amount of control over the ship's systems that was required to guarantee the safety of everyone on board. Such a thing was unacceptable to her, thus she had never taken that risk again. From then on, whenever she chose to test the limits of her senses, she always did it in complete isolation within the A.I. Core room. It became a meditation time of sorts.

Today, while docked in the Citadel for resupplying, EDI had been contacted by a former member of Shepard's team and offered the opportunity to sample the many textures that clothing articles could offer. Even though she had already worn clothes before, the standard Cerberus catsuit and Alliance-issue garments could not compare to what she was currently testing. Functionality was the primary goal of the design behind the clothes she had worn up to this point—even if the catsuit belied such a statement—and so they often strayed far from proper comfort and aesthetics.

EDI was currently wearing something she had never seen before, as was most of what the sizeable closet behind her contained. No one traveling in a space ship—particularly a military vessel—or living in space stations such as Omega and the Citadel ever wore such a thing as a sundress.

Taking the time to meticulously analyze the image presented in the full-body mirror before her, EDI slowly spun around on the tips of her feet. The fabric felt light on her body—barely weighing anything—and it allowed a high amount of air through, giving a sensation of freshness and freedom. Furthermore, if even she could appreciate how the piece of clothing favored her body features, she was certain that Jeff would be positively enthralled. While inert, the skirt of the dress drew attention to her calves, and it ended in a waist line that was obviously designed to accentuate the midriff area while it also made her legs appear longer than they actually were. When turning around, the skirt had a tendency to climb up, allowing a fair glimpse of her thighs. EDI was almost certain that given the cut of the fabric and its light weight, this was a deliberate feature of the garment. Though this posed some philosophical uncertainties, such as what intrinsic value should a dress obviously designed by males have for females, it also offered the opportunity to increase her level of physical attractiveness toward Jeff. This was an outcome she very much preferred.

Even if the relationship between them had thrived without the need of physical contact, and even if it had begun by merely reaching to each other through what was basically their minds alone, EDI knew that their unique bond could be strengthened further by her actually being there with Jeff. It was an intrinsic organic function to crave company, and though EDI was not certain about this, it seemed that the vast majority of people from every race favored a companion that was aesthetically pleasant to them. This truth was doubly so for Jeff. It was no secret that the human possessed an abnormal libido, and while many people were deterred by it, EDI was not.

Naturally, she could only speak from her own experience, and she was fine with that too. No individual could claim to do otherwise, not if they considered themselves as such. It was impossible to be detached from your own perception, and in her experience, Jeff had come to value her personality and intellect long before she had acquired a body. If after having acquired a body she could do something more to increase his attraction toward her, even better.

After the sundress, EDI was asked to don an ensemble consisting of a white cap-sleeved top and khaki capris that ended slightly above her ankles. This fabric was designed to be more form fitting, though not excessively so. To the A.I., it was as if the clothes were an attempt to display physical attributes while remaining demure in most situations. The lower hem of the shirt and the waist of the pants barely met, offering a teasing glimpse of her abdominal area when she moved a certain way. While these clothes did not possess interesting qualities such as a flowing skirt or a modest cleavage that drew attention to her rather ample chest while remaining tasteful, they gave the A.I. an air of normalcy. Barring the fact of her skin being a completely unnatural color with a glossy finish, she could see herself walking through the Presidium, blending in perfectly with the other passersby. It was something EDI could appreciate.

EDI continued experimenting with different combinations of clothes for the remainder of the Citadel day cycle. When the colors of the artificial sky began the transition from dark reds to blues and purples, she proposed trying one last outfit before returning to the Normandy. As with the other clothes before, her companion aided EDI in getting dressed and then slipped a few steps behind to allow her time and space in front of the mirror. The A.I. studied her body in excruciating detail, taking note of where the fabric stretched and where it creased, of how it took on a life of its own—as humans said—when it shaped around the contours of her body. This ensemble consisted of a loose long-sleeved white blouse that was tucked inside the waist of a black pencil skirt that ran snuggly down her thighs and ended just above her knees. It was quite a contrasting combination, with the blouse helping to bring some sobriety to the tight skirt, which left little to imagine as to the shape of what was underneath. EDI also noticed that due to its high waist and slim profile, the skirt gave her legs the illusion of being longer, and she appeared to be taller in general. As for the textures of the clothes, they were no different than many others she had already tried today.

Having committed every nuance of her reflection to memory, EDI turned around to look at her host inquisitively. "Should I locate you the next time we are on leave in the Citadel so we can play dress up again, Operative Lawson?"

The human's eyes widened for just a fraction of a second before her expression became composed once again. "How did you…" She trailed off. It was quite uncharacteristic to see the Ex-Cerberus Operative hesitate like this. Then again, she probably had not anticipated that EDI would have so much knowledge about the true reason behind her invitation to _test_ clothing.

"Anyway," Lawson continued after slightly shaking her head. "Just call me Miranda, I think we're past formalities such as referring to me on a title and last name basis."

EDI stood ramrod straight with both hands linked behind her back, as she often found herself doing when faced with a serious or socially complex situation. "I appreciate the sentiment, Miranda."

With that, the A.I. turned around and began walking toward the door, but before crossing it, she stopped and looked over her shoulder toward the human. "So, until next time?" She offered a candid smile.

An almost imperceptible tinge of pink colored Miranda's cheeks, and she too offered a smile in return. "Yes, of course…" Her voice trailed off for a moment once more. "And EDI, please keep our dress up sessions between us for now."

"Do not worry, I only share these experiences with Mr. Moreau." EDI replied with a deadpan voice, and her face had become the very mask of solemnity.

Miranda's eyes grew very wide for an instant, and as she opened her mouth to say something, the A.I. interrupted her. "That was a joke."

The comment prompted a sigh of obvious relief from the human, and now satisfied that the evening they just shared had been a complete success, EDI left the apartment without further interaction.

While walking back to the Normandy, the A.I. contemplated the evening's events. When EDI had first arrived at Miranda's apartment, the human had been rather tense, her body movements slightly jumbled and stiff, and worry had been clear in her facial expression. After spending the evening trying clothes, her mien had become more relaxed and her disposition more positive. At the time, EDI had considered improper to press for answers, but that had not deterred her from forming her own hypotheses about the reasons behind the human's change in behavior.

Based on the information she had, EDI was almost certain that the entirety of Miranda's childhood had been spent meeting the demands of her father instead of experiencing something more in line with what was considered normal. After that, the human learned about the existence of her sister, Oriana. That, however, did not mean that Miranda would have company in her life. The elder sister had absconded with the younger in order to protect her from their father, and in a desire for Oriana to have a normal life—something Miranda never had—she had sent her younger sister away.

Thus, it was likely that Miranda Lawson craved the activities she never was allowed as a child, especially the sort that she had been denied to perform with her sister. EDI made a note to ask about it the next time they met. After all, the human had already given signs of acknowledging a degree of friendship between them, which meant that personal inquiries were very likely permitted.

Upon returning to the Normandy, she would endeavor to also improve Jeff's mood. She would model for him what her extranet search had defined as "the sexy secretary look", and perhaps even allow him to play with the strands that simulated hair on her head. EDI knew he enjoyed the activity very much.


End file.
